Private, Small Groups, or Communal: Dipterocarpus Wood Resin Tree Tenure and Management in Teun Commune, Kon Mum District, Ratanakiri Province, Northeastern Cambodia

Abstract

Dipterocarpus wood resin is an important non-timber forest product for the ethnic Brao and Tampuon people from Teun Commune, Ratanakiri Province, northeastern Cambodia. While wood resin tree tenure is typically private, whether in Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, or Malaysia, in Teun Commune wood resin trees are managed privately, by small groups, and communally, thus providing a unique opportunity for comparing the conditions of wood resin trees managed under different tenure arrangements. This study indicates that wood resin trees managed by small groups and communally are in better condition than those managed privately. Locals believe that this is because everyone has more of an interest in not damaging communally managed trees, and that members of the communities are subject to social factors that influence the behavior of wood resin tappers. The long-term impacts of logging on wood resin tree management are also discussed.